


Looking When You Can’t See

by ladygray99



Category: White Collar
Genre: Multi, Pre-Threesome, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-24
Updated: 2011-06-24
Packaged: 2017-10-20 16:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/214952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladygray99/pseuds/ladygray99
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal is lonely</p>
            </blockquote>





	Looking When You Can’t See

**Author's Note:**

> Written for elrhiarhodan ’s Prompt Fest V.
> 
> Prompt: Neal – Lonesome

Peter wasn't sure what to do when Mozzie came to him with three small words.

“Neal is lonely.”

Peter tried to argue that Neal had plenty of people in his life. Mozzie for one, June for another, dinner a couple times a week with him and El, lunch with the team more often than that.

Mozzie shook his head. “Knew you wouldn't get it, Suit.” Then he left.

Still those words stuck in his head. He found himself watching Neal perhaps just a little more closely than before. Nothing seemed different. He thumbed through Neal's “painting exercises”, brilliant forgeries of great masters, but none of them looked dark or odd. Peter began to wonder what Mozzie had seen that he was missing.

He tried asking Neal how he was doing.

“I'm just fine Peter, I mean I'm not in prison. Granted I'm not allowed within a hundred yards of the Met...”

“For your own good.”

Neal rolled his eyes. “I'm fine, really.”

“He says he's fine,” Peter told Mozzie.

Mozzie shook his head again. “You need to look at Neal when you can't see him.”

Peter was still trying to puzzle out that one while Mozzie walked away.

Peter spent the next several weeks almost obsessively watching Neal's tracking data but he couldn't find a thing that stood out.

He asked El what she thought.

“Of course he's lonely, you can tell.”

“I can't tell. I've looked at him every which way. He says he fine.”

El shook her head much like Mozzie them patted him on the cheek. “You'll figure it out dear and when you do it's okay with me.”

“What?”

Instead of answering El rolled over and turned out the light.

Then a rich and eccentric idiot got a bunch of paintings stolen. They were touring through the penthouse when Peter glanced into a three hundred year old gilt mirror from Versailles which was facing a two hundred year old gilt mirror from some Russian palace. And trapped in the never ending reflections was Neal's face, unguarded, open, and full of a sad desire.

“Neal is lonely.”

It all clicked in Peter's head.

He turned to look at Neal directly. He was smiling and admiring the inlay wood on some antique table.

That night Peter showed up at Neal's place unannounced. He brought a bottle of wine that actually had a cork in it.

Neal was all smiles and acted like he appreciated the wine. Then he asked what Peter wanted.

“Mozzie once told me you were lonely. It took me forever to understand.”

“I'm fine Peter, really.”

“You once swore you'd never directly lie to me.”

“I haven't, I...”

Peter took two long steps and pressed himself into Neal's personal space. Neal faltered. He touched his fingers to the back of Neal's hand. “It's okay, Neal. I won't let you be alone.”

“El...”

“Says it's fine.”

“I...”

Peter had enough of talking and pressed his lips to Neal's. Neal froze, then very, very slowly melted into Peter's arms.


End file.
